Olympus E-5
- 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Fully Articulated Display
- ISO 100 - 6400
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1/8000s Max Shutter
- 1280 x 720 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 800g - 143 x 117 x 75mm
- Revealed February 2011
- Replaced the Olympus E-3
- Read full specs
- Alternatives
- Lenses
- Size Comparison
- FAQ
58 Imaging
48 Features
76 Overall
59
Olympus E-5 summary
Olympus E-5 is Olympus's Advanced DSLR camera first launched on February of 2011. It comes with a 12 MegaPixel, CMOS Four Thirds sized sensor and has a max resolution of 4032 x 3024.
Olympus released this camera as a way to update the older Olympus E-3 (Read Full Comparison)
The E-5 stands at #48 out of 92 in Advanced DSLR cameras and overall #328 out of 1465 for digital cameras in our database. You should try out our Smart camera search to get camera rankings based on your customized criteria.
Here is a graph of multiple factors used in the rating system.
Olympus E-5 family
The Olympus E-5 comes with a history of related digital cameras. Down below, you can take a look at all past and current models as well as main specs.
Olympus E-5 Gallery
You can check the E-5 from several angles in the gallery underneath.
Olympus E-5 Pros and Cons
Below is a shortlist of good and bad points of the Olympus E-5 based on criterias which are generally considered crucial in a camera.
Olympus E-5 Sensor details
The Olympus E-5 features the TruePic V+ processor. The sensor specification on the Olympus E-5 is 17.3mm x 13mm (Four Thirds). The 225 mm² sensor has the ability to capture 4032 x 3024 pixels and aspect ratios of 4:3 and 16:9. The camera boasts Image Stabilization (Sensor based). Optical stabilization is better than digital stabilization since the latter may lead to cropping.
Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD CardsThe CMOS sensor boasts 12 megapixels and gives a native ISO range of 100 to 6400. RAW photos are saved which means that you have wider margin for error.
The graphic underneath illustrates the E-5's sensor dimensions when compared to other common sizes. The E-5 sensor comes with a crop factor of 2.1 and is highlighted in green.
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhoneTo get a sense of specific aspect ratios, you should refer to the visual below.
Olympus E-5 dimensions
Olympus E-5 is 1.76 pounds (800 gr or 28.22 oz) and features exterior size of 143mm x 117mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0"). The weight of typical Advanced DSLR camera is 776 gr and the Olympus E-5 is very much the same in comparison with other rivals.
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firmsHere is a picture of the Olympus E-5 besides a soft drink to help you have a feel for its scale.
The top view under will provide the button layout on the E-5.
Olympus E-5 Lens specs
The E-5 uses the Micro Four Thirds mount and has 162 lenses that are available. Below is a few of the lenses we have in our database which will fit the E-5.
Olympus E-5 Connectivity
The E-5 has the following connectivity:
- USB Yes
- HDMI Yes
Digital cameras which include NFC or Bluetooth support are able to be used wirelessly via smartphones. You will be able to send photos and oftentimes alter camera settings without connecting physically to the camera.
Certain applications even give a Liveview and hit the shutter when you are not close to the camera. If the camera has a HDMI out, it can easily be attached to an external display. The majority of cameras enable you to charge the battery pack using the USB socket.
Olympus E-5 Video specs
The max video resolution on the Olympus E-5 is 1280 x 720 and it can shoot in Motion JPEG format. 720p is low by today's standards. You should really strive for at least 1080p resolution for decent video. While the camera features a microphone socket, it is unfortunately missing a headphone socket which means that you won't be able to check your audio levels.
Olympus E-5 Weather Sealing
Olympus E-5 features weather proofing making it a excellent pick to use for tricky places. This can be particularly handy if you are uncertain about the elements you might face for outdoor photography.
Olympus E-5 Display and Viewfinder
The Olympus E-5 comes with a 3" fully articulated display screen supporting a resolution of 920k dots.
It features a selfie friendly display to get self portraits and group photos if necessary. Unfortunately the display screen is not a touch screen. The E-5 also comes with a Top display so you're able to instantly checkout your settings.
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created ImagesThe View Finder specs regarding Olympus E-5 are the following:
- ViewFinder Optical (pentaprism)
- ViewFinder Coverage 100 percent
- ViewFinder Magnification 0.58x
Viewfinders are rather useful for sunny outdoor situations which can easily make the camera display washed out and difficult to view.
Olympus E-5 Shutter specs
Olympus E-5 continuous shooting rate is 5.0 frames per second. The maximum shutter speed is 1/8000s.
Olympus E-5 Flash and Hot shoe specs
Olympus E-5 boasts both built in flash and external flash support. The highest flash sync is 1/250s.
Olympus E-5 Autofocus specs
Olympus E-5 boasts both Phase Detect Autofocus and Contrast Detect Autofocus. Phase Detection autofocusing is a lot more snappier and accurate when compared to Contrast Detect autofocusing. The camera comes with Face detect which makes it useful for people photography.
It comes with 11 focus points to choose from. Olympus E-5 features manual focus if required for low light situations or you require more precise focus control.
Olympus E-5 Battery life
The battery pack (BLM-5) in the Olympus E-5 is designed to last for 870 photos with respect to the CIPA requirements which is similar to its competition. The usual Advanced DSLR camera battery life is 909. Nikon D780 comes with the maximum (2260) battery life for this kind of cameras.
Following is a listing of Advanced DSLR cameras that have the highest battery life:
Olympus E-5 for specific styles of photography
The following graph gives a outline of the Olympus E-5 for specific styles of photography. To learn more, have a look at the specific section underneath.
Olympus E-5 Portrait photography features
The Olympus E-5 receives a rating of 60 which is decent, meaning that it is fairly appropriate to use for portrait photography. Photographing portrait images favors heavily to sensor specs, RAW support in addition to the potential to utilize off-camera flash.
Street photography with Olympus E-5
With a above average score of 71, the Olympus E-5 is a very decent pick to buy for street photography. A very good street photography camera gives a fine balance of image quality plus portability.
Olympus E-5 Sports photography factors
A average sports photography points tally of 59 means the Olympus E-5 is reasonably suited for photographing sports. A camera needs to have great autofocus and shutter speeds for sports photography.
Olympus E-5 Travel photography highlights
Size is pretty important when picking a camera for travel. In general, the Olympus E-5 gets a modest 56 as a travelling camera which is fairly adequate to purchase for your journeys.
Olympus E-5 as a Landscape photography camera
If you're looking to pick a digital camera for landscape pictures, the most significant factor is going to be image quality. The Olympus E-5 with it's nice rating of 65 as a landscape camera is a good pick compared to its competitors.
Vlogging with Olympus E-5
A camera for vlogging preferably should have a articulating screen, microphone port and preferably image stabilization. Considering all things, the Olympus E-5 is a good option as a vlog camera as it receives a very good score of 64.
Olympus E-5 Alternatives
If you are shopping for replacements to the E-5, here is a list of the top placed cameras that fall into the family of Advanced DSLR.
The diagram below provides you a bird's eye view of the E-5 versus it's top ranked rivals listed above.
There are more cameras you may check out as alternate options. To go through a detailed comparison, click the "compare" link.